Does Smoking Marijuana Lead to COPD?

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COPD, which is also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a worldwide known disease that has caused several deaths over several years. There are various factors that can lead to this disease, but the most common cause is smoking. Many studies have proven that people who smoke are liable to get exposed to the respiratory impairment which will eventually lead to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In definition, COPD is a condition which blocks airflow and therefore makes breathing difficult. COPD can be broken down into two which are, chronic bronchitis which leads to a lot of coughing with a continuous secretion of mucus for many months and emphysema which is simply the loss of breath owing to the damage of the air sacs in the lungs.

ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF COPD IS SMOKING.

Marijuana smoke is known to contain same chemicals as a cigarette smoke, and it also has a higher burn rate. Short-term usage of smoking marijuana may depend on the amount taken in, but repeated use of marijuana is likely to increase the risk of a damaged respiratory system. Research has found that consuming marijuana for a long term can cause:

– increase risk of lung infections

– poor or damage mucus membrane

– increase in mucus production

– increase in coughing

Habit always have a role to play in the overall lung health. Studies have revealed that people do smoke marijuana differently than smoking cigarettes. For instance, people may hold smoke longer and deeper in the lungs while also smoke to a shorter butt length. By holding in smoke, it affects the number of tars retained by lungs. Studies showed that marijuana inhalation techniques could cause four times more tar to be inhaled than a normal cigarette.

Deeper and longer inhalations of smoke from marijuana also increase the amount of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Carboxyhemoglobin which is created when carbon monoxide from the smoke combines with the hemoglobin in your blood system. When taking in marijuana smoke, you are inhaling carbon monoxide which is poisonous to the body system. This carbon monoxide will combine hemoglobin in your blood rather than oxygen. As a result of this, you will have more carbon monoxide in your blood than oxygen, and when you lack the oxygen required to function, then there is a problem.

The expenses of treating COPD is high, and it is a fact that once the COPD has spread to marijuana smokers lungs and caused damages, there is no medications or surgeries that can restore the lungs to normal functioning. It is also important to know that various people have different levels of liability to the disease. This is why it is essential to a smoker to know his or her level before taking another marijuana.

With this method, a smoker can reduce his or her chance of contracting COPD and likely lead to premature death.

In case you don’t quit smoking and your condition worsens, then you need to stay put in the hospital. It is advisable to quit smoking so you can increase your lifespan.